Carton-closing mechanism



March 23 1926. 1,577,850

F. M. PETERS ET AL A,

CARTON CLOS ING MECHANISM Filed July '7, 1921 5 sheets-Sheet 1 March 23 1926. 1 1,577,850

- F. M. PETERS ET AL CARTON CLOSING MECHANISM Filed July '7, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 23 1926 1,577,850

F. M. PETERS ET AL CARTON CLOS ING MECHANI SM Filed July '7, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 69 67 1 M M fizezss, J10 7 War/7672 .5. fiaggerjbizi,

March 23 1926. 1,577,850

F. M. PETERS ET AL CARTON CLOSING MECHANISM Filed July '7, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 zip;

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March 9 21th:

F. M. PETERS ET AL CARTON CLOSING MECHANISM Filed July 7, 1921 5 sheets-sheet 5 fzaenz oraw flaw/Z 27. P666245. Warren E fiaizgezfon Patented Mar. 23 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK M. PETERS AND WARREN ILLINOIS.

H. HUNGERFORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO PETERS MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF Application filed July 7,

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that we, FRANK M. Pn'r'nns and WARREN H. HUNGERFORD, both citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in t the. county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carton-Closing Mechanism, of which the following is' a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in w carton closing mechanism and is of particular value in connection with such a machine as is described and illustrated in. the patent to Iieters et al. No. 860,7 64:, dated July 23, 190 Y i 1 The object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism for effecting the closing or tucking of a carton or analogous package which has been previously filled; I that is to say, part of it has-been formed up, the contents inserted and the package is in readiness for having the flaps or folds of the lining and the carton proper interfolded and secured in position.

In the drawings which illustrate our invention as applied to a machine of the general type disclosed in the aforesaid Patent No. 860,764,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on theline 22 of Fig. 1;-

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the folding mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of ig. 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3;. y

Fig.6 1s a section taken-on theline 6-'6 of. Fig. 3;. 4 Fig. ,7 is a perspective view of a filled package in readiness to be 1. e., tucked and folded, by our mproved mechanism; L c

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the same package after the folding plate has effected its forward movement; i

Fig. 9 is a side view of the same package after one of the end folders has been actuated;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showing thecondition of the package after the other end folder has been actuated;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the pack operated upon,

CARTON-CLOSING MECHANISM.

1921. Serial No. 482,882.

age after both end folders have operated, the package then being in condition for gluin g for final closure.

Referring to the drawings, it will be observed that as in said prior Patent N o. 860,674 the machine is as a whole supported on a. plurality of suitable standards 20, the operating parts of the mechanism being carried by a bed or main casting 21. The par ticular machine illustrated herein is capable of operating upon a pair of packages which are fed through the machine simultaneous 1y, but in view of the fact that the principal parts are the same in each case, one side of the machine being substantially a duplicate of the other, We have not shown or described more than one side of such mechanism. The packages upon which the machine is designed to operate comprise pasteboard cartons such as 22 which have been previously made up in combination with an inner lining 23 usually of flexible material, such 76 as waxedpaper, which will preserve the contents substantially without deterioration over a considerable period. Such a package is well known to those skilled in the art and therefore will not be described in detail. Said packages are filled with their contents prior to the package reaching our improved machine, and may be delivered to our machine by hand or in any other suitable manner.

The filled packages as delivered to the machine are placed usually with their longer di- -mensions longitudinally disposed in a feed chute designated as 24, said feed chute preferably consisting of a U-shaped casting or trough provided with a longitudinally. extendlng slot 25 in its bottom wall for the purpose of accommodatin certain elements of a chain conveyor 26. aid chain conveyor is equipped with upstanding flights 27 which engage behind the ends of the packages 22 and successively advance the latter into the field of the various instrumentalities which complete the tucking, folding and gluing of the carton.

Said conveyor chain 26 is trained around a pair of sprocket wheels 28 and 29 and receives an intermittent movement from the latter. 7 The sprocket wheel 28 is. mounted on an idler shaft 30 while theisprocket wheel 105 29 which drives the conveyor is keyed to a driving shaft 31 to which is also keyed a small spur gear or pinion 32 meshing with a large spur gear 33 fast on shaft 34. Shaft 34 also carries, keyed thereto, a ratchet disk 35 having a relatively small number of teeth so that each tooth advance of said ratchet wheel 35 will effect a considerable linear movement of the conveyor chain. Said ratchet 35 is actuated by a spring pressed pawl 36 pivoted on an oscillating arm 37 journaled on said shaft 34 and actuated by a connecting rod 38. Said connecting rod 38 has one of its ends pivoted at 39 to the outer end of said arm 37 and has its other end pivoted to a crank pin 40 rotating around shaft 41 through which certain other mechanisms of the machine are driven. If

desired, said shaft 41 may serve as the main power shaft and can be driven from any suitable source of power by means of a belt 42 and pulley 43 connected to said shaft.

Inasmuch as the mechanism and appliances for folding over and cementing or gluing in place the final flap of the completed package form the subject matter of other patents and applications, we will not attempt to describe such mechanism.

The initial folding or closing mechanism described herein comprises a laterally movable folding plate 44 for taking care of the upstanding side, portion 45 of the waxed paper lining 23 and a pair of end folders 46 and 47 for respectively operating upon the upstanding end portion of the lining and of the material of the outer carton. All of said three elements are carried by brackets indicated at 48 and 48 in Fig. 5.

The laterally movable folding plate 44 is generally horizontal and is reciprocated across the top of the feed chute 24 by means of a slide 49. For a purpose whlch will hereafter appear, said plate 44 is not secured rigidly to said slide 49 but is connected thereto through a rear hinge connection 50 on the rear or outer end of the slide 49. The slide 49 is movable horizontally along and in guide grooves as at 51 formed in the said brackets 48 and 48 and is actuated by a cam 52 keyed to a shaft 53. Said shaft 53 is positively driven from the main power shaft 41 by a set of bevel gears one of which is indicated plainly at 54 in Fig. 1. The track surface 55 of said slide actuating cam 53 is arranged to cooperate with the cam roller 56 pivoted on a pin 57 carried by a horizontally movable connecting rod 58. The inner end of said connecting rod 58 is forked as shown at 59 in order to straddle and be guided by said shaft 53. The outer end ofsaid connecting rod 58 is pivotally connected to a pin or screw 60 located substantially midway of the height of an upstanding oscillating cam lever 61, the lower end of which lever is pivoted on a fixed pin 62 secured in the frame of the machine, the

upper end of said cam lever 61 being connected by means of a'short link 63 to a lug 64 depending from the under side of the slide 49. A spring 120 has one end connected to the lever 61 near the lower end and has the other end connected to an arm 121 so as to hold the roller 56 in engagement with the cam surface 55 for effecting the withdrawal of the folding plate 44 after each folding operation. As previously stated the reciprocable plate 44 serves to fold down in place the side portion 45 of the waxed lining, the-effect being shown best in Fig. 8 of the drawings. However, it is found that in certain cases, particularly Wherethe package is filled with a bakery product such as cake, variations in the ingredients and baking conditions sometimes cause the upper surface of the goods to project slightly above the top of the carton. A straight horizontal movement of the folder plate 44 might, under these conditions, cause considerable trouble and in order to overcome this difficulty we have found that it is of great advantage to be able to raise the inner or operative end of the folder plate 44 at the commencement of its inward or folding movement so that it will be sure to pass over the top of the cake without obstruction. The mechanism which we employ for effecting this purpose comprises a small vertically reeiprocable plunger or,

lift rod 65 mounted to slide in a duplex U- shaped guide member 66 suitably secured to the side of the guide chute 24. Said lift rod 65, at the proper time in the cycle of operations is elevated by one end 67 of a lever pivoted on a horizontal fixed pin 69. The'opposite end 70 of said lever carries a cam roll 71 which engages a cam 72 keyed to shaft 53. The end 67 of said cam lever is normally'held in-engagement with the lower end of plunger 65 by means of a small coiled tension spring 72, one end of which is secured to a pin 73 in said lever end 67, while the other end of said spring 72 is connected to a pin 74 fixed in the side of guide chute 24.

In its advancing movement. across the top .of the package the reciprocating slide plate 44 is lifted as to its inner end by said lift rod 65, which recedes due to the influence of cam 72 as soon as theplate 44 has substantially completed its inward movement. The plate 44 will then descend slightly under the influence of gravity until its further descent is arrested by the contents of the package, or by reason of the plate engaging the top of the chute 24. It may be stated here that said slide plate 44 is made in the form of a blade or as thin as reasonably practicable in order to prevent interference The slide member 49 in its inward movement serves to carry or remove the first end folder 46 into such position that it may be effectivelyoperated to fold down. the end flaps. 13 reference to Figs. 3 and 6 itwill be seen t at said .folder 46 is united, as by screws 7 5 to an arm 76, the hub 77 of which is keyed as by a in 78 to the inner end of horizontal and aterally disposed shaft 79 :hrried in suitable guides 80 and 81 formd as: parts of bracket 48. Said shaft as a' whole. partakes of the movement of slide 49 through a collar or circularly grooved block 82 secured rigidly to said shaft by means of a ,set pin 83. The groove 84 in said block or collar 82 enables the shaft to be rotatedand nevertheless causes the shaft to be moved longitudinally by a curved arm 85, one end of which fits said groove and the other end of which is formed with a flange 86 rigidly united to slide 49 by suitable means such as rivets 87. Said shaft 7 9 is arranged to be rotated by an actuating arm 88 equipped with a fixed spline or key 89 engaging in a featherway 90 formed along and in said shaft 79. Longitudinal movement of the arm 88 is prevented by bifurcating the inner end of same to straddle or embrace the bearing lug 80 in which the shaft 79 is rotatably and slidably mounted. The arm 88 is oscillated by means of a curved cam rod 91, the upper end of which is pivoted to the end of said arm 88 by a pin 92, while the lower end of said curved 1 arm 91 is pivotally connectedto a pin 93 fixed on the end of a horizontally disposed cam lever 94. The opposite end of said cam lever 94 is pivotally mounted on a'stationary pin 95, while betweentheends of said lever 94 there is provided a pin 96 accommodating a cam roller 97 which: enga es the track surface-of a cam 98 which is eyed to the mainpower shaft 41. Said cam roll 97 is maintained in engagement with the surface of cam .98 bymeans of a coiled tension s ring 99, the lower end of which is connecte to a pin 100 carried by said cam lever'94, while -the package chute :24.

the upper end of saidtension spring 99'is connected to a pin101 fixed in the side of it will be understood that the folder plate 46 is moved inwardly with the slide 49-after a step by step movement of the conveyor has located a package in proper positlon in the chute to be operated upon by the folders. lhe'cams are so timed that the sliding foldf ing plate 44 substantially completes its inner movementbefore the shaft 7 9 commences its rotation so that said folder 46, which is normally out of the path of movementof the package andof the upstanding parts to be olded, is shifted laterally across said path and behind the part tobe folded before it commences its efiectiv'eoperation. Fig. .9. illustrates the result of the ed'ective operation of said folder 46 due to rotary movement of shaft 79. It will be understood that preferabl the shaft 79 is timed to rotate plate 46 ack into vertical position prior to the retractive movement of slide 49 but subsequent to the effective operation of the other end folder 47. Said end folder 47 need not be mounted to shift laterally of the movement of the parts, for the reason that it is located ahead of the package instead of in rear of same when the folding is being effected.

Hence, itis necessary only to provide for a simple oscillatory movement of folder 47. In this connection, by reference to Fig. 9, it will be observed that the folder plate 46 is somewhat shorter than folding plate 47 so that the end of plate 47 will overlap slightly the end of the end. flap 102 of the package and hold same down in folded position after said flap 102 is no longer under control of the folder plate 46. It will be understood that folding plate 47 remains down in the position indicated in' Fig. 10 until the flight 27 of the conveyor has, upon the next step by step movement of the chain,

moved the package under the confining cover plate 103.

The mechanism for intermittently oscillating the end folder 47 comprises an oscillatory shaft 104 mounted in suitable fixed bearings, the outer end of said shaft" being provided with a radial arm 105jpivotally connected to the upper end of the cam rod 106. Said cam rod 106 is normally elevated by means of a spring 107, the upper end of which is secured, to a .fixed pin 108. The lower end of said spring is secured to a pin 109, whichforms a pivotal connection between the lower end of cam rod 106 and the outer end of cam lever 110. Said cam I lever 110 is pivotally mounted to oscillate on a fixed pin 111 carried in a fixed opening in lug 112 secured to the under side of chute 24 and the inner end of said cam lever 110 carries a cam roll 113 which co-operates with the track surface of a earn 114 keyed toshaft56.. j 1 i lhe described details of construction and operation are merely illustrative of a single extending over the chute across the path of movement ofthe carton as it is propelled through the chute and pivoted to fold downwardly over the carton in the chute, anda similar folder movable to and from an operating position over the chute, said folder being spaced from and operable in a direction opposite to that of the first mentioned folder.

In ,a carton closing machine, the combination of a chute, means for conveying cartons through the chute, a cover extending over the chute and adapted to hold cover flaps of the cartons in the closed position, a folder pivoted adjacent the receiving end of the covered portion of the chute and operable to swing: downwardly over the carton for closing the cover flap thereof, said folder being adapted to remain in the depressed position while the carton is advanced therefrom under the cover plate, and another folder pivoted at a distance from the first mentioned folder and movable erative position for folding a portion of the carton over the contents, and an end flap folder movable with the first mentioned folder to and from a position over the chute and operable subsequent to the inward movement of said first mentioned folder to fold an end flap of the carton.

4'. In a. carton closing machine, the combination of a chute, means for conveying a carton through the chute, a folder reciprocable transversely over the top of the chute, and a cam operable to elevate the forward end of the folder as the latter is projected over the chute.

5. In a carton closing machine, the combination of a chute, means for advancing cartons along the chute, a folder reciprocable transversely across the top of the chute and operable by gravity to bear against the top of the carton in the chute, and means for temporarily lifting the forward edge of the folder as it begins to move across the chute.

6. In combination, a guide way, means for intermittently effecting movement of a series of filled cartons along said guide way, and means for closing said cartons comprising a slide reciprocable toward and away from said guide way, a hinged plate carried by said Slide, a rotary bar movable with said slide, means for actuating said slide to fold a part of said carton, means for lifting said plate during a portion of its inward .1nove-' ment, and means for rocking said rotary member subsequent to the inward movement of said slide to fold another part of the carton.

- FRANK M. PETERS. WARREN H. HUNGERFORD. 

